|
Kenya, the East African country, is officially known as Republic of Kenya. The 536 km long coastline of the country is surrounded by the Indian Ocean towards the south-east.
Kenya shares its borders with Ethiopia in the north, Tanzania in the south, Uganda in the west, Somalia in the north-east and Sudan to the north-west. The Great Rift Valley is a geologic phenomenon that passes the highlands of the country. Two of Africa's highest mountains, namely Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro, are located in the Rift Valley.
Around 2.6 million year old hominid fossils have been found in Kenya's Lake Turkana. The first inhabitants of the country were groups of hunter-gatherers. Around 2000 BC, they were replaced by Cushitic speaking people, who migrated from Horn of Africa.
During 500 BC, Nilotic groups including tribes like Maasai, Samburu and Luo migrated to the land from Southern Sudan. The beginning of the first century AD was marked by the invasion of Arab and Persian settlers. The Portuguese arrived in Kenya in the year 1498 and thereafter eclipsed the dominance of Arabs.
The colonial era in Kenya started after the Berlin Conference of 1885. After a decade, the UK Government allowed British settlement in Kenya. To protest against the colonial rule, the Mau Mau rebellion started in October 1952, which helped Kenya gain independence in December, 1963.
Nairobi is the capital city as well as the economic centre of Kenya. The 47 counties of Kenya have semi-autonomous government, which is headed by a central government in the capital. With wildlife as the major tourist attraction, tourism contributes around 63% of the total GDP.
Kenya is resided by around 3,90,02,772 people, who belong to different ethnic groups. Out of the total population, 22% are Kikuyus, 14% are Luhyas, 13% belong to the Luo tribe and 12% to Kalenjin tribe. The rest of the population includes people who belong to other ethnic groups like Kamba, Kisii, and Meru. Only 1% of the population in Kenya is non-African.
The major languages spoken in the country are English and Swahili; however, most of the population speak their native tribal language. Christianity is the major religion, which is followed by 78% of the population. 10% of the population follows Islam.
Kenya is considered as the tourism hub of East Africa with around 50,00,00 tourists visiting the country each year. Wildebeest migration is counted among the natural wonders of the world and it only occurs in Masai Mara, Kenya. It is also home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lamu, which is Kenya's oldest living city. Kenya is also home to another world heritage site, Fort Jesus that is located in Mombasa.
The best time to visit the land of natural parks and reserves is June to September, when the world famous wildebeest migration takes place. Kenya can also be visited in January and February.
|
